Take the warehouse back to the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 218 Developing a Steam Engine

As soon as Zhao Wen finished speaking, the shirtless man next to the blast furnace hurriedly picked up the flowing molten iron with a high-temperature-resistant crucible.

Not far from the crucible, there are rows of molds.

These molds are round and straight, and the inner wall is almost thicker than a thumb.

Because of the backward productivity in this era, Zhao Wen couldn't make seamless steel pipes, so he could only make them into steel rods first.

The big man clamped the crucible filled with molten iron with iron clips, and then slowly poured it into the nearby mold.

These steel rods need to be allowed to cool down naturally, so it takes a long time.

Standing next to the mold, Zhao Wen looked at the red molten iron in the mold, and sighed, "I'm afraid it's not easy to drill holes in these high-carbon steels."

Standing behind Zhao Wen, Sun Yuanhua looked at the molten iron in the mould, frowned and said, "My lord, if this kind of steel is really as hard as you said, then I'm afraid nothing can drill holes in these steel rods.

Moreover, even if a blacksmith beats it, I am afraid that the barrel of the firecracker will not come out. "

"I know this. These steels are high-carbon steels, which are very hard. If you want to drill holes on them, you can't do it without a suitable drill.

Even if there is, it may not be so easy if people get drilled.Just these three or four feet long steel rods, without a stable output power, it is impossible. Zhao Wen let out a long breath and said slowly.

"God damn thief, you let me travel through time, at least give me something. Today's Daming has nothing, how do you let me drill holes?" Zhao Wen looked up at the sky and slandered.

"Could it be possible that I still want to develop a steam engine? Oh, no, I'm developing a fart. I have the manufacturing diagram of this steam engine in my mind, so I can just take out the manufacturing diagram and use it? I can't manufacture a high-precision steam engine. Can't I still make the most primitive old-fashioned steam engine? The difficulty of this thing is not too big."

Thinking of this, Zhao Wen's eyes suddenly lit up, and he ran out of the ironworks.

Sun Yuanhua looked at Zhao Wen who was in a hurry, and hurriedly followed.

Zhao Wen rode on the horse, and under the protection of several guards, he rushed towards the General Military Mansion.

At this time, the sun had begun to slowly sink to the west. Zhao Wen looked at the sun in the sky, recalling the structure and manufacturing details of the steam engine.

To be honest, the most primitive steam engine is actually not complicated. If there are manufacturing drawings, suitable materials, and familiar craftsmen, it may not be impossible to make it even in this era.

Zhao Wen, who is an engineering student, has all kinds of steam engine design drawings deeply imprinted in his mind.

The structure of the most primitive steam engine is not difficult at all. Judging from Daming's current development level, as long as there are design drawings, it can be manufactured.

However, although a steam engine can be produced, there are also some shortcomings.

That is, there was no rubber in the era of Daming, and if there was no rubber for sealing, it would definitely leak air.

Once the steam engine leaks, the efficiency will decrease.

But now Zhao Wen has no choice but to manufacture a steam engine. As for the sealing material, let's see if there are any substitutes.

Zhao Wen hurried back to the General Military Mansion, and rushed directly into the study.

He spread a piece of rice paper on the table, took out a charcoal pencil, ruler and compasses, and drew on the rice paper.

As the night gradually deepened, Zhao Wen was still lying on the table, drawing seriously.

"Well, when I was in college, the course of mechanical drawing almost killed me. Among the homework assigned by the teacher at that time, there were various sections of steam engines. Fortunately, my drawing was not standard at that time. , the teacher keeps asking me to redraw, otherwise, maybe I really can’t remember it.”

Zhao Wen lay on the table, concentrating on drawing the blueprints.

This is also the only time in Zhao Wen's many years that he felt that what the teacher did was right.

When the rooster crowed, Zhao Wen threw the missing charcoal pencil on the table.He stretched, then slumped down on the chair.

Zhao Wen picked up a cup of tea that had already cooled down, and took a sip.

"Finally finished drawing!" Zhao Wen picked up the drawings on the table and looked at them with a smile on his face.

"With this drawing, the steam engine will not be a problem. With the steam engine, the power of the boring machine will not be a problem. When the time comes to use this steam engine as the power of the boring machine, the barrel can be easily drilled out.

And I can also rely on this steam engine to build a more advanced steam engine. This steam engine is too big to fit on a boat.After making a more advanced steam engine, I can make a steam ship hundreds of years ahead of this era.At that time, who will be my opponent on the sea? "

Zhao Wen looked at the steam engine on the drawing, his face was full of excitement. .

The steam engine painted by Zhao Wen is called the Watt steam engine, and it is the first generation steam engine improved by Watt.

The biggest advantage of this steam engine is that it is easy to process, and many parts can be processed only by casting.There is no need for the processing tools of later generations at all, and it can be completely processed by the craftsmen of this era, but it may waste some time.

Zhao Wen held the blueprint, looked at the slowly rising sun outside the window, and then rushed out.

"Sun Yuanhua, where is Sun Yuanhua?"

Zhao Wen stood in the yard, shouting loudly.

"My lord, Master Sun has gone to the ironworks outside the city."

Li Xiaosan was practicing boxing and kicking in the yard when he suddenly saw Zhao Wen who was yelling and rushed over.

Zhao Wen looked at Li Xiaosan who was rushing over, and said excitedly, "Get me Sun Yuanhua, and tell him that I have something important to see him for."

"Yes!" Li Xiaosan cupped his hands at Zhao Wengong, and then rushed outside.

"You lunatic, what are you screaming in the early morning?"

Hai Lanzhu yawned and walked out of the backyard with a tired face.

After walking a few steps, I heard Zhao Wen yelling.

Zhao Wen looked at Hai Lanzhu approaching, rushed up, hugged Hai Lanzhu, and kissed Hai Lanzhu's cheek.

"What are you doing? You pervert, get the hell out of here."

Hai Lanzhu pushed Zhao Wen away and fled with a flushed face.

Not long after Hai Lanzhu left, Sun Yuanhua hurried back.

"My lord, are you looking for me?" Sun Yuanhua looked at Zhao Wen who was sitting on the stone bench in the yard, and asked with a puzzled expression.

Zhao Wen smiled mysteriously, and then picked up the drawing on the stone table, "What do you think this is?"

Sun Yuanhua took the blueprint in Zhao Wen's hand and examined it carefully.

After a long while, Sun Yuanhua put down the drawing in a daze, "My lord, what are you drawing? I can't understand it at all!"

The design drawings drawn by the ancients are fundamentally different from those of later generations, and it is only natural that Sun Yuanhua could not understand the drawings drawn by Zhao Wen.

What's more, Zhao Wen's painting is a steam engine, and Sun Yuanhua has never touched a steam engine, so he doesn't understand a steam engine at all.

"Sit down!" Zhao Wen took the blueprint from Sun Yuanhua and spread it on the stone table.Pointing to the stone bench next to him, Sun Yuanhua sat down.

Sun Yuanhua sat in front of Zhao Wen, looked at the blueprint on the stone table, and asked with a puzzled look: "Sir, is this the blueprint you drew? But why is the blueprint you drew completely different from the blueprints drawn by our Ming craftsmen?" different?"

Zhao Wen waved his hand, and said calmly: "Don't worry about the specifications of my blueprint, I'll tell you what this blueprint is about."

Next, Zhao Wen spent an entire hour explaining to Sun Yuanhua the contents of the drawing and the steam engine.

Sun Yuanhua looked at Zhao Wen who was eloquent, his expression was sometimes excited, sometimes solemn, and sometimes puzzled.

When Zhao Wen finally finished explaining, Sun Yuanhua breathed a sigh of relief and asked slowly: "Sir, is this steam engine really as powerful as you said? Can it be loaded on a Shanghai ship? I've never heard of such a thing."

"Of course you haven't heard of it. Let me ask you, have you ever seen a boiling teapot?" Zhao Wen looked at Sun Yuanhua and asked.

"I've seen it, but what does it have to do with steam engines?"

"While the water is boiling, does the lid of the teapot keep shaking?"

"Yeah, if the fire is too big, the water vapor inside can still blow the lid off."

Zhao Wen clapped his hands and said, "It's over. After the water is boiled, the water vapor inside can push the lid open. Let's imagine, if this teapot is bigger than a pot, the lid on it Cover the teapot tightly without any gaps.

At this time, we keep burning. Do you think the water vapor inside will blow the lid of the pot?What is drawn on this blueprint is a principle similar to this.When I say this, you should understand, right? "

After listening to Zhao Wen's explanation, Sun Yuanhua couldn't help but frowned and thought deeply.

"My lord, I seem to understand. Your steam engine is to get out the power of water vapor when the water is boiled, and then let this power work for us?"

"That's right, that's the reason." Zhao Wen looked at Sun Yuanhua who had reacted, and said excitedly, slapping the stone table.

"Tsk tsk tsk, my lord, you are really not an ordinary person. Being able to extract the power of water vapor for your own use is the power of a god and ghost." Sun Yuanhua looked at Zhao Wen with admiration.

Zhao Wen laughed, and said: "It's nothing, that's all right, you can hire me some skilled blacksmiths, and what's more, you can redraw this blueprint for me with the specifications of this era, and let me The craftsmen in the ironworks make several molds that can make such workpieces."

Zhao Wen pointed to several thick crankshafts, pistons and some castable parts on the drawings, and said to Sun Yuanhua.

At the same time, Zhao Wen also explained the blueprint to Sun Yuanhua in detail.

If Zhao Wen didn't explain it, Sun Yuanhua might not be able to change the blueprint.

Sun Yuanhua took the blueprint in Zhao Wen's hand and nodded heavily, "My lord, don't worry, I will definitely make this steam engine for you."

"I have to watch over the building of this steam engine. If I don't, I don't feel at ease. How about this, let the construction team build a yard for me next to the General Military Mansion, and gather the workers who built the steam engine in the There. Meanwhile, you and I will live there. All of us are not allowed to leave until the steam engine is out."

In order to manufacture the steam engine as soon as possible, Zhao Wen had to force himself.

Seven or eight days later, a simple small yard was built.

After the small courtyard was built, Zhao Wen led Sun Yuanhua and the blacksmiths recruited by Sun Yuanhua into the small courtyard.

Although these blacksmiths didn't know what Zhao Wen asked them to build, but with Zhao Wen's high salary, they chose to shut up.

After everyone's hard work, half a month later, a steam engine that looked extremely simple was finally manufactured.

Zhao Wen looked at the steam engine in the yard that was about to catch up with the roof, with an excited smile on his face.

"Sun Yuanhua, according to the method I said, add water to the boiler of this steam engine."

Zhao Wen pointed to the boiler of the steam engine and said to Sun Yuanhua next to him.

After receiving Zhao Wen's order, Sun Yuanhua added water to the steam engine with the help of craftsmen.

"Remember, don't make it too full, it should be about [-]% full." Zhao Wen looked at Sun Yuanhua who was adding water, and said loudly.

Sun Yuanhua nodded at Zhao Wen, then borrowed the water bucket handed over by the craftsman, and poured it into the boiler of the steam engine.

After a while, Sun Yuanhua closed the lid, carried the empty bucket, and jumped off the boiler.

Because the boiler is relatively high, you need to support a ladder if you want to add water.

"Now prepare to ignite. Remember, the fire must not be too big at the beginning, and the heating must be even, otherwise the boiler may explode."

Zhao Wen directed a few craftsmen to pile coal under the boiler and light it carefully.

The flames licked the bottom of the boiler, and water vapor gradually emerged from the window on the boiler to observe the water vapor.The window is only the size of a palm, and there is this small iron door outside the window.

With the combination of the small iron door and the wooden stopper, the palm-sized window can be tightly closed.

Because there is no pressure gauge in this era, Zhao Wen had to use this old method.

And this window for observing steam is also a place for water injection.

When the water in the boiler gradually boiled, Zhao Wen pointed to a control valve that controlled the connection between the cylinder and the boiler, and said solemnly: "Open the valve."

Because the industrial level of this era is really too low, the valve used by Zhao Wen is also a simple spherical valve designed by himself, but the airtightness is not very good, but it is better than nothing.

Following Zhao Wen's order, the valve was slowly opened.Zhao Wen watched the increasing concentration of water vapor at the window for observing water vapor on the boiler, and then said in a deep voice, "Close this window tightly so that no water vapor can come out."

As soon as Zhao Wen finished speaking, a worker took a wooden stopper and put the wooden stopper on the window, and then used a small iron door on the window to close it.

"Add more charcoal for me, the fire must be big now, add it for me." Zhao Wen pointed to the bottom of the boiler and said in a deep voice.

The worker next to him hurriedly scooped up the coal with a shovel from the nearby coal pile and threw it under the boiler.

As the fire grew stronger, the water in the boiler boiled violently.

"Bang dang, bang dang!"

The huge gear connected to the cylinder slowly began to rotate.

Zhao Wen looked at the gears spinning, his face was full of excitement.

"It's moving, it's moving, it's really moving!" Sun Yuanhua pointed to the spinning gears, his face full of excitement.

"I really didn't expect that the power of this water vapor could drive such a large gear. It's really unexpected."

Many craftsmen also gathered around the gear, looking at the spinning gear with horror, speechless in surprise.

(End of this chapter)